Rewind radio and television

ABSTRACT

A radio or television apparatus has tuning circuitry for selecting a channel from an input spectrum, an output for presenting a presentation from a selected channel, a recording apparatus having a memory with capacity for recording a fixed time duration T of the selected presentation, and adapted to make an audio record sequentially in a circular fashion, such that when the memory capacity is filled, the device continues to record, overwriting the oldest recorded information, providing thereby, at any point in time, a stored copy of time duration T immediately preceding the point in time. This innovation provides limited rewind capability for real-time data streams. In alternative embodiments add-on devices are provided for existing radios and TVs.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the area of radio and television apparatus,and pertains more particularly to methods and apparatus for recordingand playing back radio and television presentations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Modern radios and entertainment centers typically include recordingequipment. It is, for example, common for a home entertainment center toinclude a tape recording apparatus wherein a user may select to recordportions of an incoming audio broadcast and record to tape. Similarly,such entertainment centers typically include TV receiving, tuning anddisplay apparatus whereby one may tune to video signals, such as regularTV broadcasts. In the area of TV and other displayable video, it iscommon for such centers to include video cassette recording (VCR)apparatus whereby one may select to record portions of tuned videosignals, so the video display may be reproduced at a later time forwhatever purpose. Outside the home environment it is also common forradios, such as automobile radios, to include a magnetic tape player,allowing a user to elect to play a tape rather than a tuned-in radiopresentation. Car radios, however, typically do not include recordingapparatus, nor any facility for a user to record on the tape apparatusportions of the tuned radio channel that may be playing at any point intime.

Even with the existence and use of the prior art apparatus describedabove there is an unmet need. It often happens, for example, that aperson is taken a bit by surprise by a desire to record a portion of avideo or audio presentation. What usually happens is that the personwatching a TV presentation or listening to a radio broadcast realizestoo late that he or she would like to have a recording of all or part ofwhat has just been presented. Of course, in some cases, the presentationmay be available for purchase from the broadcaster, but this is usuallynot the case.

What is clearly needed is a means of automatically recording an incomingdata stream in a circular manner, meaning that after a fixed time periodof sequential recording, the recording apparatus will continue to recordby overwriting the already recorded material in the same order asoriginally recorded, the oldest data being overwritten first. The neteffect will be, at any moment in time, while the apparatus is recording,a recorded body of matter representing a time period prior to thepresent moment equal to the recorded time period represented by themagnitude of the memory apparatus being used.

In embodiments of this invention a presentation device, such as a radioor TV apparatus, will always have a recorded version of the last “x”minutes or hours of the presentation, so a user always has access tomaterial he or she may at any moment desire to review or reproduce. Themagnitude of “x” is alterable by the magnitude of the recordingapparatus, and may vary from seconds to many hours in differentembodiments.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention a radio apparatus isprovided comprising tuning circuitry for selecting a channel from aninput rf spectrum; an output for driving a speaker system with an audiopresentation derived from the selected channel; and a recordingapparatus having a memory with capacity for recording a fixed timeduration T of the audio presentation, and adapted to make an audiorecord sequentially in a circular fashion, such that when the memorycapacity is filled, the device continues to record, overwriting theoldest recorded information, providing thereby, at any point in time, astored copy of time duration T immediately preceding the point in time.In various embodiments the recording apparatus may comprise a taperecorder or a digital memory.

In preferred embodiments there are user-operable inputs for interruptingcircular recording, selecting beginning positions for playback, andplaying back the recorded data. OEM and Add-On devices are both taughtin the descriptions below.

In an alternative aspect of the invention a television apparatus isprovided comprising tuning circuitry for selecting a channel from aninput video spectrum;

-   -   an output for driving a television display with a video        presentation derived from the selected channel; and a recording        apparatus having a memory with capacity for recording a fixed        time duration T of the video presentation, and adapted to make a        video record sequentially in a circular fashion, such that when        the memory capacity is filled, the apparatus continues to        record, overwriting the oldest recorded information, providing        thereby, at any point in time, a stored copy of time duration T        immediately preceding the point in time. The recording apparatus        in one embodiment comprises a video tape recorder adapted to        record in a circular fashion, and in another embodiment the        memory is a digital memory managed to record sequentially in a        circular fashion, and the video presentation is presented at the        television display and simultaneously digitized as necessary and        recorded in the digital memory. There are in this aspect as        well, user-operable inputs for interrupting circular recording,        selecting beginning positions for playback, and playing back the        recorded data, and add-on devices are also provided.

In various embodiments of the invention, taught in enabling detailbelow, for the first time, a limited rewind capability is made availablefor real-time data streams.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a radio apparatus according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of an add-on radio recording device according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of operation of a memory system accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a television device according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of an add-on television recorder device according toan embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 represents a first and relatively simple embodiment of thepresent invention. A radio 11, such as, but not limited to a car radio,receives radio broadcasts from an antenna 13, tunes a particular channelby well-known circuitry, and plays the tuned audio presentation over aset of speakers 15, which are typically stereo speakers. Radio 11 inthis embodiment also comprises a cassette tape player 17 which mayconventionally be used for playing audio tapes over the same speakers15.

In this embodiment of the invention the tape player is also capable, byselection, of recording the tuned audio played over the speakers, orother tuned audio (the radio may be capable of tuning plural channelssimultaneously). Moreover, in this invention, the tape device is capableof continuous loop recording, which may be done in any one of severalways. For example, a single tape may have multiple tracks, wherein oneset of tracks may be dedicated to recording in one direction, and asecond set for recording in an opposite direction. There may be moveablerecording and playing heads, or redundant heads properly positioned. Inan endless recording mode, when the tape reaches one end, itautomatically reverses and records in the opposite direction. After sucha tape is filled to capacity, continuing recording will overwrite theoldest stored data, analog or digital, and, properly controlled per theinsight of the present invention, create the storage medium describedabove as needed. If, for example, the tape can hold one hour ofrecording in one direction, it can hold two hours in both directions,and the tape, constantly running while the radio plays, and recordingthe output of the radio, will provide at any point in time a two hourrepository backwards in time from the given present time.

In this embodiment the tape player may be used for playing conventionaltapes, or a user may insert a blank (or a tape to be overwritten) andselect a special mode by, for example, pressing a dedicated button onthe radio control interface. In the special mode the tape continues torun and provide the special recording until the user has a need ordesire to access the recorded data. The operation and switching from onemode to another may be managed by a dedicated processor in the device(not shown). The net effect is Rewind Radio, as the user may in effectrewind the audio presentation at any time to review or replay anythingthat the radio presented in the time period represented by the capacityof the recording device.

In some embodiments an input is provided for flagging. That is, a usermay mark a position in the endless recording for later reference. Forexample, if the user recognizes a musical number or an interview or thelike, playing over the speakers from the radio, that the user would liketo retain, the user may, by a special input, such as a button or a voicecommand, cause a flag to be placed in the recording. Such a markingmakes it easier for the user to later go to the position in the recordedmaterial where the desired material is located.

In the embodiment with a single tape recording device, a user can removethe tape at any time and save it for future replay, and may simply pluga new tape into the tape recorder for continuing the circular recordingprocess. The user may also take a tape from the device, insert it in adual tape deck, and select a transfer desired material to a differenttape.

In an alternative embodiment the radio has a second tape deck, and auser is enabled to select portions of a recorded tape and to transferthese portions to the second tape. In this embodiment a user may stopthe circular recording mode, select the wanted portions, transfer thoseportions to the second tape, and then reenter the circular recordingmode. In some situations it is not necessary to stop the tunedpresentation while transfer to the second recording device isaccomplished.

FIG. 2 represents another embodiment of the invention, wherein a radio19 receives signals from an antenna 21, tunes a channel from thereceived signal by a tuner circuitry 25, amplifies the tuned signal byan amplifier 27, and plays the result over speakers 23. The conventionalradio circuitry (tuner 25 and amp 27) are illustrated in a very broadmanner, as such circuitry is notoriously well-known in the art.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 a special circuitry 29 is addedcomprising an analog-to-digital converter (A/D) 31, a microprocessor 33and a non-volatile digital memory 35 interconnected on a bus 37. Again,elements for such circuitry are well-known, and the apparatus isillustrated in a broad manner. The non-volatile digital memory can beany of several types available, including magnetic and optical devices.The tuned output of tuner 25 is provided to A/D 31 as shown, which putsthe digital equivalent on bus 37. Microprocessor 33 manages theoperation such that the digitized audio data is stored in memory unit35.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of memory 35, which may take anyone of several forms, as described above, and is preferably what isknown in the art as a Flash memory. Memory 35 is addressableword-by-word, as is most digital memory, beginning with a first word ataddress 41 and extending to a last word at address 43. Storage of thedigitized audio data is managed by microprocessor 33 to begin at word 41(or in some cases at any other word) and to proceed always in onedirection by sequential addresses in the direction of arrow set 39. Itis well-known in the art that digital audio data is stored insequentially addressed word sectors as shown.

One thing that is unique to the present invention is that themicroprocessor is programmed to recognize the next word after last word43 to be first word 41. The net result of the recording protocol, then,is a record of a fixed length of presentation up to the present time.That is, if 20 minutes of audio can be recorded in memory 35, at anypoint in time the memory will have recorded the last twenty minutes ofthe tuned presentation. If at any time the user stops the recording,he/she may rewind the memory to any time in the twenty minute window,and replay and review any of the recorded material.

The result now is what the inventor terms Rewind Radio, because theoperation simulates the operation of playing a prerecorded medium,wherein one may at any time rewind to replay any portion.

The length of the widow available is, of course, determined by the sizeof the memory and the nature of the recording, which are adjustable (atleast in the design process).

In preferred embodiments radio 19 of FIG. 2 has an operator input forengaging and disengaging the Rewind mode, wherein circular recordinginto memory 35 takes place. In some embodiments there is another inputfor flagging particular points in the memory, and a flag may be insertedautomatically when one intentionally disengages the Rewind mode, and atother times as may be convenient. Such flagging of addresses facilitatesfinding particular points in a recording for review. There are many waysthis may be done. Also, there is, in preferred embodiments, a Rewindinput for moving a pointer in the memory at which replay may begin. Suchan input may be a jogging wheel, a spring-centered knob, or any ofseveral other apparatus capable of performing the purpose. In apreferred operation there may be a jogging facility for moving thepointer from flag to flag in the memory.

In addition to the above-described controls, there is also a replay modewherein selected data is read from memory, provided to converter 31,which in this case is both an A/D and a D/A converter, and played overspeakers 23. When the replay mode is invoked, the normal radio functionis aborted.

In another embodiment memory 35 is implemented on a removable flashmemory, such as a PC card, with a docking slot, and a recording may beremoved and used with another device for replay or other use.

In yet another embodiment there is a second digital memory 38, which ispreferably a removable media device, such as a PC card (PCMCIA standardas known in the art), and controls are provided in the operatorinterface for selecting portions of material recorded in memory 35 andtransferring those portions to memory 38, which may then be removed andused to transport the recorded material to another device, such as aportable or desktop PC, or a device capable of using the memory deviceand rendering the recorded material as audio again. This second memorydevice can be any kind of non-volatile removable memory, includingmagnetic and optical devices. In this manner a user can build a staticrecording of just those selections of programs he or she wishes to keep.Again, in some instances, it is not necessary to interrupt a tunedprogram to accomplish transfer of material from the circular to thesecond recording device.

In another embodiment of the present invention a Rewind TV apparatus isprovided. The operation and apparatus of this device may be describedwith references to FIGS. 1 and 2, with the exception that the device isa TV apparatus instead of a radio, the antenna input represents inputfrom any video data stream source, such a TV antenna or a TV cable, andthe output is a TV display rather than speakers 23 shown.

The operation in the TV case is analogous to the Rewind Radio, in thatthe output of the tuner during operation of a Record mode is fed to boththe display and the recording apparatus. In the recorder the videosignal is fed to a non-volatile memory device in a circular fashion justas described for the Rewind Radio. The memory device can be a VCR(analogous to FIG. 1) or a digital memory (analogous to FIG. 2). Thereis an operator interface with inputs for at least starting and stoppingthe record mode, and initiating playback. There may also be jogginginput for locating a preferred starting point in a record. In the TVcase, playback may replace tuned play, or playback might be in aPix-on-Pix window over the normal window, and so on. One may also insome embodiments tune the audio to either the tuned signal or to theplayback data. In the TV case there is optionally a second memory, asdescribed for the radio case, wherein one may transfer selected portionsof material from the circular recording device to the second removabledevice, for the same purposes described relative to the Rewind Radio.This second device in some embodiments may be a writable CD-ROM oroptical memory of another sort, as these kinds of memory have relativelyhigh capacity. The result in this embodiment is a Rewind TV, where thelast “x” minutes of any real-time presentation may be replayed.

In an alternative embodiment for TV, just the audio portion of the TVpresentation may be recorded, which may be done for equal time frameswith much smaller memory. In this embodiment, one may rewind and saveaudio selections, such as music and interviews, from videopresentations.

In yet another embodiment of the invention an add-on device 45 isprovided for after-market use with conventional radios. In this caseradio 47 may or may not have a tape deck. Device 45 has aplay-and-record tape deck 53 capable of endless recording under propercontrol of a microprocessor 51, as previously described with referenceto FIG. 1. There is also an operator interface for at leastengaging/disengaging the recording mode, and for playback, as well as ajogging input for finding a particular position in a recorded tape forplayback.

For ease of installation and use in the this aftermarket embodiment,device 45 has a stereo input by which cables 49 from the radio maydirect analog audio to device 45 rather than to the speakers, and device45 also has a stereo output by which audio may be provided via cables 55to the speakers. When device 45 is off or recording, the tuned audiosignal feeds through device 45 to the speakers for real-timepresentation without interruption, and when device 45 is in playback,the tuned signal is blocked, and the recorded signal is output to thespeakers. Although not shown, there may additionally be variouswell-known elements operable in device 45, such as amplifiers and thelike.

As described for the embodiment of FIG. 1, the add-on device of FIG. 4may optionally have a second tape deck, and controls for such as markingportions of material for reference and transferring portions of materialfrom one tape to the other.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an aftermarket device 59 wherein recordingis done digitally in the manner of radio 19 of FIG. 2. As in the deviceof FIG. 4 input is by cables from the speaker output of an existingradio, in this case radio 57. Converter 61 digitizes audio input, andputs the result on bus 67. Microprocessor 63 manages operations torecord digital audio sequentially and circularly in memory 65 asdescribed for memory 35 of FIG. 3. An input interface, not shown, allowsfor engaging and disengaging the recording and playback modes, andprovides a jogging input for finding preferred places in a recording.Operation is analogous to that described for radio 19 of FIG. 2. Duringplayback the tuned input is blocked and the recorded data is played tothe speakers. There may be an amplifier and perhaps other elements, notshown, as may be necessary.

In addition, still referring to FIG. 5, there may optionally be a seconddigital memory 68, implemented as a removable module, such as a PC card,a hard disk, an optical memory, et al., allowing a user to transferselected portions from circular memory 65. After such transfer the usermay remove memory 68 to any other compatible device for furtherprocessing.

In yet another embodiment an aftermarket device is provided for use withexisting television equipment, analogous to the radio aftermarket deviceof FIG. 4. In this embodiment the tape deck is a VCR device capable ofendless recording, with redundant or movable heads, managed such thatcircular recording is accomplished as taught herein. In yet anotherembodiment an aftermarket device for existing TV apparatus is analogousto the apparatus illustrated with reference to FIG. 5, using a TVinstead of a radio, the TV drawing a signal from any conventionalsource. The tuned signal is provided to the add-on device, which recordsthe data stream digitally in a circular fashion as taught herein. Inboth of these add-on TV devices there may optionally be a secondnon-volatile memory unit, which may be any convenient sort, as describedfor the radio devices, allowing the user to transfer selected portionsof recorded material from the circular memory to a removable memory tobe taken away and processed elsewhere. Also, in either TV device, thememory operations may be for audio only, as described above.

It will be apparent to the skilled artisan that there are numerouschanges that may be made in embodiments described herein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, thereare many alterations in circuitry that might be made, there are manysorts of microprocessors that might be used, and there are many waysthat software and firmware may be provided, accomplishing essentiallythe same results. As such, the invention taught herein by specificexamples is limited only by the claims below.

1. A radio apparatus comprising: tuning circuitry for selecting achannel from an input rf spectrum; an output for driving a speakersystem with an audio presentation derived from the selected channel; anda recording apparatus having a memory with capacity for recording afixed time duration T of the audio presentation, and adapted to make anaudio record sequentially in a circular fashion, such that when thememory capacity is filled, the device continues to record, overwritingthe oldest recorded information, providing thereby, at any point intime, a stored copy of time duration T immediately preceding the pointin time.
 2. The radio apparatus of claim 1 wherein the recordingapparatus comprises a tape recorder adapted to record in a circularfashion.
 3. The radio apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an A/Dconverter, wherein the memory is a digital memory managed to recordsequentially in a circular fashion, and the audio presentation ispresented at the speakers and simultaneously digitized and recorded inthe digital memory.
 4. The radio apparatus of claim 1 further comprisinguser-operable inputs for interrupting circular recording, selectingbeginning positions for playback, and playing back the recorded data. 5.An add-on recorder for a radio apparatus, comprising: an input forreceiving an analog audio signal stream from a radio; an output fordriving a speaker system; and a memory system with capacity forrecording a fixed time duration T of received analog audio signals, andadapted to make an audio record in the memory sequentially in a circularfashion, such that when the memory capacity is filled, the systemcontinues to record, overwriting the oldest recorded information,providing thereby, at any point in time, a stored copy of time durationT immediately preceding the point in time.
 6. The add-on recorder ofclaim 5 wherein the memory system comprises a tape recorder adapted torecord in a circular fashion.
 7. The add-on recorder of claim 5 furthercomprising an A/D converter, wherein the memory system comprises adigital memory managed to record sequentially in a circular fashion, andthe received analog audio signal stream is sent to the speaker systemvia the output and simultaneously digitized and recorded in the digitalmemory.
 8. The add-on recorder of claim 5 further comprisinguser-operable inputs for interrupting circular recording, selectingbeginning positions for playback, and playing back the recorded data. 9.A television apparatus comprising: tuning circuitry for selecting achannel from an input video spectrum; an output for driving a televisiondisplay with a video presentation derived from the selected channel; anda recording apparatus having a memory with capacity for recording afixed time duration T of the video presentation, and adapted to make avideo record sequentially in a circular fashion, such that when thememory capacity is filled, the apparatus continues to record,overwriting the oldest recorded information, providing thereby, at anypoint in time, a stored copy of time duration T immediately precedingthe point in time.
 10. The television apparatus of claim 9 wherein therecording apparatus comprises a video tape recorder adapted to record ina circular fashion.
 11. The television apparatus of claim 9 furthercomprising an A/D converter, wherein the memory is a digital memorymanaged to record sequentially in a circular fashion, and the videopresentation is presented at the television display and simultaneouslydigitized and recorded in the digital memory.
 12. The televisionapparatus of claim 9 further comprising user-operable inputs forinterrupting circular recording, selecting beginning positions forplayback, and playing back the recorded data.
 13. An add-on recorder fora television apparatus, comprising: an input for receiving a video datastream; an output for driving a television display system; and a memorysystem with capacity for recording a fixed time duration T of thereceived video data stream, and adapted to make record in the memorysequentially in a circular fashion, such that when the memory capacityis filled, the system continues to record, overwriting the oldestrecorded information, providing thereby, at any point in time, a storedcopy of time duration T immediately preceding the point in time.
 14. Theadd-on recorder of claim 13 wherein the memory system comprises a videotape recorder adapted to record in a circular fashion.
 15. The add-onrecorder of claim 13 further comprising an A/D converter, wherein thememory system comprises a digital memory managed to record sequentiallyin a circular fashion, and the received video data stream is sent to thetelevision display via the output and simultaneously digitized andrecorded in the digital memory.
 16. The add-on recorder of claim 13further comprising user-operable inputs for interrupting circularrecording, selecting beginning positions for playback, and playing backthe recorded data.